ASTV channel has pulled the plug on the live broadcast of the Democrat rally in the Samsen area, saying the opposition party was not sincere in its fight against the blanket amnesty bill.
DOLLED UP: Protesters at Uruphong intersection have been getting creative.
ASTV was founded by Sondhi Limthongkul, a former core leader of the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD).
The satellite television channel had covered the opposition rally since the first day, Oct 31, after the government MPs passed the second and third readings after a 19-hour debate.
PAD former spokesman and co-leader Parnthep Pourpongpan posted on his Facebook yesterday that the live broadcast was ended because the Democrats continued to limit the scope of the opposition to particular issues and refused to scale up the rally.
The Democrats failed to touch on several other major controversial issues, such as corruption, energy resources and the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches, he said.
"The Democrat Party's objective is far below the public's expectations, which shows the party is not ready to sacrifice themselves for the public," he said.
"The Democrat Party has abandoned and shattered the expectations of the demonstrators," Mr Parnthep said. "The rally is only aimed at gaining popularity for the party."
According to Mr Parnthep, ASTV initially decided to air the Democrat rally because it believed the party would pursue the true fight and scale up the demonstration in line with its promises.
He said the Democrats only repeated the issues which are already well-known to ASTV viewers, so further broadcasting would not be useful.
Mr Sondhi decided to end ASTV's live broadcast at the Democrat rally yesterday and move to air the anti-government demonstration of the Network of Students and People for Reform of Thailand at Uruphong intersection instead, said Mr Parnthep.
The Democrats have shown no concern about the end of ASTV's live broadcast at their rally site.
Democrat Party spokesman Chavanont Intarakomalyasut said many media outlets had already reported the situation at the rally.
The decision rests with each media channel, he said.
The party's stance is to protest against the whitewashing of ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the return of his seized assets, he added.
Meanwhile, several PAD supporters said at the Democrat rally site in Samsen that they still supported the rally even though the PAD had refused to join it.
Tongyos Khan-arsa, 71, a PAD supporter, said he joined the Samsen rally on the first day.
He said the PAD might be thinking that the Democrats were only interested in the benefit they could get from the broadcast.
"But it doesn't matter to me. I don't agree with the blanket amnesty bill. I think the Democrats' move will benefit the country," he said.
A Don Muang resident, Wanna Supawan, 66, another PAD supporter, said she had taken sides with the the PAD since 2008.
But she did not care if the PAD did not stand by the Democrats.
She would still join the Democrat protest.
"When I learned about the blanket amnesty bill, I just could not ignore it and had to fight against it," she said.
"It doesn't matter who is leading this protest. I will support them."
Another PAD supporter, Buppha Wankalas, 70, said she could not stand by over the amnesty.
"I can't accept it. I don't stick to any particular group but those which oppose the bill," she said.